Oct. 20, 2016

Dear Heights High Families and CH-UH Community,

On Thursday, Oct. 13, a female student reported that she was sexually assaulted that day at school. The high school administration swiftly began an investigation in conjunction with the University Heights Police Department.

We also took immediate action to protect the safety and security of the student involved and of all others who could be impacted by this, in addition to taking the necessary disciplinary actions.

As of today, no criminal charges have been filed, but the investigation is still ongoing. Heights High School and the CH-UH District are taking this matter very seriously, and we are cooperating with UHPD in order to ensure the incident is investigated thoroughly.

It is imperative that we protect the integrity of the investigation, as well as the privacy and the rights of all students involved, which significantly limits what information we can share. Since the news of this incident became public, I have received many messages from concerned parents and community members. Admittedly, some of them were complaints about the District’s lack of communication to the school community.

I understand and accept that criticism, but please know that the District must operate according to rules and laws that prohibit us from communicating in ways that some members of the public would prefer. As you may know, under state and federal law, the District cannot lawfully disclose private information about students; these laws exist to ensure the security and privacy rights of those who have attended or who do attend school here.

I have also received many emails and messages in the last 24 hours with offers of support and resources. The past week has been disturbing as a District leader, but I have been overwhelmed by this reaction not only from the community but from some of our student leaders. To me, these offers of support are clear evidence of why we should be proud to live in this community. When trouble occurs, our reaction is to come together and figure out strategies to make our schools and our community stronger.

With this directive in mind, District and school leaders are discussing ways we can make improvements as a school community. We must address the behavioral issues with our students while also taking a hard look at the policies and procedures we as adults use to keep our children safe in our schools. I understand that news of this incident was distressing to each and every parent in our District. Please be assured that we are committed to working with our students, our staff and our entire community to find ways to proactively address these issues and continue moving our district forward.

Sincerely,

Dr. Talisa Dixon

Superintendent, CH-UH City School District